These cinnamon-chili sweet potatoes are a vegan, anti-inflammatory dinner win

Hunting around for anti-inflammatory recipes almost always leads to one superstar spice: turmeric. There’s a good reason for that—it’s one of the most powerful pantry staples in the inflammation-fighting department. It’s certainly not the only tool in the shed, so to speak, though. Food blogger and certified yoga instructor Kim-Julie Hansen incorporates two other big ones, cinnamon and hot red chili peppers, in her miso-ginger tempeh bowl recipe, which she shares in her new book, Vegan Reset.

Spiced up sweet potatoes are the star of the dish, but the addition of shiitake bacon, miso-ginger tempeh, and a beet-tahini dressing combine to make it especially drool-worthy. “This is one of my favorite go-to veggie bowls on a fall or winter day,” Hansen says. She came up with it when she was playing around with different flavor combos in the kitchen, experimenting with ways to incorporate both miso and ginger with tempeh, her all-time favorite plant-based protein.

The cinnamon and chili peppers are both anti-inflammatory, while tempeh and sunflower seed butter check off the protein box for a well-rounded meal. And between the shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower, onion, and bell pepper, there’s certainly a good amount of veggies in the mix. In other words: No need to whip up any sides—this dish has it all.

“Don’t stress about finding the exact ingredients and feel free to substitute with any veggies or beans of your choice,” Hansen says before offering up one cooking tip for the shiitake bacon: “It’s very important not to omit the oil because it won’t taste good otherwise, so if you’d rather cook this without oil, consider sautéing the mushrooms in a little veggie broth instead.”

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the sweet potato with the oil, cinnamon, chili peppers, and salt. (It’ll work best if you use your hands) Spread the sweet potatoes on one side of the baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, to make the shiitake bacon, mix the mushrooms with the oil and salt. After the sweet potatoes have baked for 15 to 20 minutes, add the mushrooms to the other side of the baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your shiitake bacon to be.

4. For the veggies, combine the chopped vegetables with the oil in a pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. To make the tempeh, mix the water, miso paste, and ginger in a bowl. Add the tempeh and let it marinate for a few minutes, then heat the slices in a pan over low to medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. To make the dressing, mix all of the dressing ingredients using a fork or a whisk.

7. Serve the tempeh with the sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and veggies over the baby spinach and drizzle with the dressing.